Some people call this super yummy treat “crack candy” as a nickname since you need to reach 285 degrees on a candy thermometer when making the candy portion, which is the soft crack temperature. I just think it is one of the best snack foods around. I decided to make Planters Peanuts the star of this show and they performed so well. Standing ovations are in order! Find the recipe on Babble by clicking here!

I’m known for making a good fruit punch, and with March Madness officially here, I made this thirst quenching beverage for all to enjoy. Get the recipe over at Babble, I posted it there and bought all the ingredients at Target. Click here for the recipe!

I live in Southern California, and yes it might be a little chilly at night sometimes, but for the most part it heats up during the day. It’s not uncommon for the heat to reach up to 85 degrees on any given day in February or March so the paleta making has started to take course. Plus my son is obsessed with paletas so it’s a great way to sneak fruit that he won’t normally eat into his diet. Here is my Melon Raspberry Paletas for you to enjoy when ever mother nature decides it’s going to be a hot day.

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It’s breakfast time again here at Presley’s Pantry.  I promise to stop with the breakfast posts for a little while after this one.  I use to dislike Oatmeal with a fierce passion.  I’ll just say it out loud… I LOVE OATMEAL now (click over to Babble for the whole story on my sudden love with oatmeal).  For my nearest and dearest who are snickering at that remark calling me a hypocrite through a whisper in their teeth, I have declared a change of heart.  Now when I open my eyes in the a.m. I can’t wait to get my hands on a bowl.  I’m still playing around with different combos of steel cut love, but here is one I have been quite pleased with lately.  Enjoy it!

Serves: 4

Ingredients for Cherry Hazelnut Farro Oatmeal:

• 5 – cups water
• 1 – Melissa’s Produce vanilla bean pod (split down the middle)
• 1 – cinnamon stick
• 1 – cup steel cut oatmeal
• 1/2 – cup Melissa’s Produce farro
• 1/3 – cup brown sugar
• 1/3 – cup Melissa’s Produce hazelnuts (chopped)
• 1/2 – cup Melissa’s Produce cherries (pitted and cut in half)
• 1 – cup milk or 1/2 & 1/2
• Cherry jam (optional)

1. In a pot over a medium flame add water, vanilla bean pod, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil.
2. Add in oatmeal and farro, give it a good stir and bring to a boil.
3. Once oatmeal/farro are boiling, cover pot with a lid and lower the flame to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from flame and let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Serve hot in a bowl and garnish with brown sugar, hazelnuts, cherries, and milk. Add cherry jam if you like things extra sweet.
6. Enjoy.

I have been enjoying breakfast more and more lately.  I use to only eat breakfast on the weekends.  Then I realized that wasn’t very good for my metabolism. Since I don’t always want eggs I had to start thinking of an alternative… plus the whole cholesterol thing is something to consider. Geez, I never thought those words would come out of my mouth. I am trying to eat breakfast every day and eat as soon as I wake up.  That’s sometimes a task.  When time is limited, I turn to my smoothie action.  Throw your ingredients in a blender and presto, you got breakfast in a cup.

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http://www.latimes.com/features/food/dailydish/la-dd-nicole-presley-presleys-pantry-20130211,0,2115373.story

Yes, it’s so hard to get my son to eat. He is very selective about what he will eat and almost every meal is met with opposition, even if it’s something he had eaten the day before with no problem.  I stick to the very basics with him for now, and am always looking for ways to get him to try new foods.  A couple of weeks ago he FINALLY took to eating a popsicle, and he LOVED it so much, partly because it was on a stick, or maybe it was just the sugar rush.  Either way (I didn’t care which it was), this got my mind racing with ideas of all the yummy foods I could put on a stick and I decided the next thing would be a corn dog or cheese bomb. He was bound to like one or the other, right? I was pushing for the cheese.

I made my batter with Maseca (the corn flour) and cut the wieners in half to make it easier for his little mouth to gobble them down and his hands to hold.  Victory! Not only did he like the corn dog, he liked the cheese bomb too!  He now had a choice. If this recipe worked on my son, then it is officially kid proof.

Ingredients for Mini Corn Dogs and Cheese Bombs:

• 6 – frankfurters (beef or turkey) (cut in half)
• 6 – pieces of cheddar cheese (1 inch wide by 3 inch length)
• 18 – popsicle sticks
• 1 – tablespoon corn starch
• 1/2 – cup Maseca (amarillo)
• 1/3 – cup corn meal
• 3/4 – flour
• 2 – tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 – teaspoons baking powder
• 1 – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – teaspoon baking soda
• 2 – tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 – cup milk
• 1 – egg
• enough oil to fill a small saucepan 3/4 of the way up (about 4 cups)

Directions:

1. Pat frankfurters dry with paper towel. Insert popsicle stick into ends and push half way up. Do the same with the cheese chunks.
2. Sprinkle frankfurters and cheese with corn starch to ensure batter will stick. Set to the side. 
3. In a large mixing bowl combine Maseca, corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.
4. Pour in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Mix well till vegetable oil is fully incorporated into flour mixture. Set to the side.
5. In a small bowl mix milk and egg together. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Mix well. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
6. Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium flame and wait till oil reaches 370 degrees fahrenheit.
7.  Pour batter into tall cup and dip frankfurters and cheese chunks one at a time letting excess batter fall back into the cup.                                                               
8. Deep fry 2 at a time until golden brown.  
9. Place corn dogs and cheese bombs on a paper towel lined plate to drain for a few minutes before eating!
10. Enjoy!